1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealing body for installing a mirror on the outside of a front door of a passenger car or other vehicles. The invention also relates to a door mirror using such a sealing body.
2. Discussion of the Background
A conventional sealing body for a door mirror is shown in FIGS. 5 to 9 and held between a mirror pad boot 5 and a door panel 9 as shown in FIG. 9 to provide a seal between them.
The conventional sealing body is generally indicated by numeral 4 in FIG. 5. The sealing body 4 consists of a resilient body. The sealing body 4 has a main portion 40, and a projection 41 substantially at its center. The projection 41 protrudes toward the automobile body in the direction indicated by the arrow A, and has a recess 411. The projection 41 is designed to be fitted into a recess 31 formed in a seal cap 3 shown in FIG. 6. The recess 31 is formed substantially in the center of the body, indicated by numeral 30, of the cap 3. The cap 3 has an attachment portion 32 at its upper end. This attachment portion 32 is mounted to ends 92 of the door panel 9 (FIG. 9). The cap 3 has another attachment portion 33 at its lower end, the attachment portion 33 being capable of being bent upward. As shown in FIG. 7, the seal cap 3 has retaining holes 311 in the rear surface of the recess 31 to mount the whole door mirror. The recess 31 extends inwardly of the automobile body.
In operation, the conventional sealing body 4 is held between the mirror pad boot 5 and the door panel 9 as shown in FIG. 9. When the structure is assembled, the sealing body 4 is fitted into the recess 31 in the seal cap 3. Then, the sealing body 4 and the cap 3 as one body are forced between the boot 5 and the panel 9 and sealed. The boot 5 supports a mirror holder 7 which embraces the door mirror, indicated by numeral 6 in FIG. 9.
As shown in FIG. 8, the mirror pad boot 5 has an engaging portion substantially in the center of the attached end of the automobile body, or the top of FIG. 8. The engaging portion engages the recess 411 in the sealing body 4 and is mounted to the door panel 9. The engaging portion comprises a cylindrical protruding portion 51, a foot wall 52 formed at the side of the protruding portion 51, and a plurality of small cylinders 53 disposed around the protruding portion 51. The boot 5 has a frame 54 on its outer periphery for engagement with the sealing body 4. The boot 5 further includes a support 55 on the opposite side to the engaging portion or on the side installing a door mirror, indicated by the arrow B, to hold the mirror holder 7. As shown in FIG. 9, the mirror pad boot 5, the sealing body 4, and the seal cap 3 are together mounted to the ends 92 of the door panel 9 with screws or the like.
The conventional sealing body 4 constructed as described above has some disadvantages. As shown in FIG. 9, a gap 8 is formed, for example, between the sealing body 4 and the mirror pad boot 5. This gap produces a high pitched sound while the automobile is moving through the air. Also, if the gap 8 exists, the sealing body becomes less resistant to rain, and the adhesion to the boot deteriorates.